THEORETICAL BACKGROUND AND PROJECT RATIONALE
The Pine Barrens Tree Frog is a small tree frog about 1 1/2 - 2 inches in length. They are vibrant green and boldly marked. A purple stripe extends through its eye down the side of the frog's body. The underside of the frog is white and with a bright orange patch under each hind leg. The Pine Barrens tree frog occurs in distinct populations within the Pine Barrens of the southeastern United States.
As of 1979, the PBTF has been listed as an endangered species in New Jersey. As such the NJARNG is required to monitor the species wherever they are found on their facilities. Because the PBTF has a very unique call (view image and listen to call here: link), its presence or absence can easily be determined by the deployment of acoustic devices during its mating season. Interns successfully analyzed over 354 hrs. (95.37 GB) of data from 376 recording nights and completed the 2019 Pine Barrens Tree frog (PBTF) Report including results summaries from the 2019 PBTF surveys, survey methods, land-management recommendations, photographs, and maps. No PBTFs were identified at any of the 16 properties surveyed over a 3-month period. We conducted follow-up wetland monitoring surveys at the Hammonton and Toms River armories between March and August 2020 to observe any seasonal fluctuations in pH. Intern Emily Gilligan and John Hallagan strategically selected locations within the Hammonton and Toms River wetlands to monitor throughout the spring and summer using a YSI water probe. These surveys were necessary to determine if suitable habitat exists at these sites for this species. Results from these follow-up surveys were added to the final report. Interns gained valuable experience with programming and deploying recorders, interpreting landscape data, collecting water quality measurements using a YSI probe, and acoustic analysis using Songscope software. Fig. 1. Range of the PBTF in NJ (Source: Conserve WildlifeNJ) |
pine_barrens_treefrog_survey_plan.pdf | |
File Size: | 587 kb |
File Type: |